MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Authorities in Chautauqua County are working with the FBI and the Mercyhurst University’s applied forensic services department to identify two sets of human remains found near a public trail and to determine how and why they ended up there.

Both sets of remains were found in recent days near the Chautauqua Rails to Trails off Woleben Road in the town of Portland, northeast of Westfield, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The office reported the discovery of the first set of remains Monday morning. According to a news release, the remains were found on Sunday at about 5:40 p.m. in woods off Woleben Road. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office was working with the county’s forensic investigation team and Mercyhurst University in the investigation and released no additional information on Monday.

The sheriff’s office reported in an updated release issued early Tuesday afternoon that, during a search of the area where the first remains were found, the remains of a second body was discovered.

The first set of remains found on Sunday are believed to be of a female, according to information in the updated release. There was no indication of the age or gender of the second set of remains as of Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Investigators reported that it appears the first set of remains had been at the location much longer than the second set of remains.

Both sets of remains were taken to Mercyhurst University for further analysis, investigators said.